«Will Hurd (TX-23) Research Report The following report contains research on Will Hurd, a Republican member of Congress in Texas’ 23rd district. ...»

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[H R 5, Vote #423, 7/08/15; CQ Synopsis, 7/08/15] Student Success Act Would Allow Funding To Follow Students From Lower Income Families To Other Schools, Eliminate And Merge The Funding Of 65 Programs. “Passage of the bill, as amended, that would reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) and would make fundamental changes to many of its programs through Fiscal 2019. The bill would allow Title I funding to follow individual students to other schools, and eliminates more than 65 elementary and secondary education programs and merges their funding.” [CQ Floor Votes, 7/08/15] Student Success Act Would Distribute New Title 1 Block Grants To States, Allow Them To Establish Their Own Teach Evaluation Systems Tied To Student Achievement. “The new Title I block grant would give states greater flexibility in how funds are used. It would also allow states to establish their own teacher evaluation systems tied to student achievement.” [CQ Floor Votes, 7/08/15] Student Success Act Would Reauthorize And Expand Charter School Programs, Increase Parental Choice. “The bill would also reauthorize and expand the charter school program and includes other provisions to increase parental choice.” [CQ Floor Votes, 7/08/15] Met with Legislators as a Member of the Texas A&M Chancellor’s Student Advisory Board, Lobbied Congress For More Financial Aid For College Students Met with Legislators as a Member of the Texas A&M Chancellor’s Student Advisory Board. As Texas A&M Student Body President, Hurd served on the Chancellor’s Student Advisory Board, a group of student representatives from each of the ten Texas A&M schools. The CSAB made annual trips to Austin and Washington, D.C. to meet with representatives and present white papers on issues relevant to the student body. “The direction I’d like to see the CSAB move into is an outreach to the youth of Texas so they understand the importance of college and accomplish this by getting college students to go into the community and serve as representatives to youth,” Hurd said. [University Wire, 7/14/99] Lobbied Congress for More Financial Aid for College Students. In March 2000, Hurd and the rest of the CSAB travelled to Washington to meet with members of Congress and Department of Education officials about increasing access to financial aid. Hurd said that the group chose to focus its efforts on financial aid because of its widespread impact. “Each school in the system is different and has different needs, but access to higher education affects every student,” Hurd said. [University Wire, 3/10/00] Voted Against Awarding Grants To States To Establish Programs To Recognize Bilingual Students Voted Against Awarding Grants To States To Establish Programs To Recognize Bilingual Students.

In July 2015, Hurd voted against an amendment to the Student Success Act that would have, “The Secretary of Education shall award grants to States to establish or improve a Seal of Biliteracy program to recognize student proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing in both English and a second language.” The amendment failed 191 to 239. [HR 5, Amendment 39, Vote #415, 7/08/15]

Voted Against Protecting Teacher Development Funding For High Poverty Areas

Voted Against An Amendment To Protect Title II Funding For High Poverty Schools. In February 2015, Hurd voted against an amendment that would delay implementation of the new formula for Title II funding until the Education secretary determines that the implementation will not reduce funding for schools serving high percentages of students in poverty. According to the amendment’s sponsor, Rep.

Gwen Moore, “Specifically, the No Child Left Behind title II formula for school districts focuses 65 percent of funds on students in poverty and 35 percent on the number of students, which is students in poverty versus just the number of students. The State formula focuses 80 percent of its funding on poverty and 20 percent on student population. H.R. 5 completely upends this … As written, we have strong reasons to fear that H.R. 5 would result in Federal dollars being siphoned away from States and school districts with the poorest students and being awarded to States and schools with higher affluence.” The amendment failed, 185 to 239. [HR 5, Vote #99, 2/26/15; House Congressional Record, Page H1265, 2/26/15] Voted Against Authorizing STEM Gateway Grants For Women, Minorities, And Low-Income Students Voted Against An Amendment To Authorize STEM Education Grants For Women, Minorities, And Low-Income Students. In February 2015, Hurd voted against an amendment that “would have established a STEM Gateways program for state education agencies to issue grants for educating girls, underrepresented minorities and low-income students in the science, technology, engineering and math fields at elementary schools and secondary schools.” The amendment failed, 204 to 217. [HR 5, Vote #95, 2/26/15; Bangor Daily News, 2/27/15]

Voted Against Ensuring That Minority And Low-Income Students Are College-Ready

Voted Against Ensuring That Minority And Low-Income Students Are College-Ready. In July 2015, Hurd voted against an amendment to the Student Success Act that would determine, “that the enactment of this Act, and the amendments made by this Act, will not decrease the college and career readiness of students who are racial or ethnic minority, students with disabilities, English learners, and low-income student.” The amendment failed 189 to 241. [HR 5, Vote #418, 7/08/15] Voted Against Decreasing Length Of No Child Left Behind Reauthorization From Six To Three Years Voted Against Decreasing Length Of No Child Left Behind Reauthorization From Six To Three Years. In February 2015, Hurd voted against an amendment to decrease the length of the bill’s reauthorization of existing elementary and secondary education law from Fiscal Year 2021 to Fiscal Year

2018. According to Rep. Jared Polis, “Having the Federal education policy in place for long enough for all of its systems around public education to catch up and create rules, create policies to see the new law succeed to the extent that it can are absolutely critical for any Federal education law. The worst possible outcome would be every single 2 or 3 years, this body goes in a radically different direction with regard to Federal education policy, causing every State, every district, every educator, every principal--instead of spending time teaching kids and helping educate children in the classroom--studying up on Federal education policy, trying to fill out new forms, trying to figure out new testing regimes; and, just as they figure them out, we are going to move the ball again. Whatever the Federal education policy is, it is very important to have some consistency.” [HR 5, Vote #96, 2/26/15; House Congressional Record, Page H1255, 2/26/15]

Voted Against Ensuring Textbooks Meet Education Standards

Voted Against An Amendment To Create A Federal Ombudsman For School Textbooks. In February 2015, Hurd voted against an amendment to establish an ombudsman within the Department of Education to act as a neutral reviewer to ensure that textbooks meet academic standards. “Under Castro’s proposal, students, teachers and administrators could submit complaints to the Department of Education ombudsman. The ombudsman would not be able to undo state decisions over textbooks, but could help resolve disagreements over textbook content.” The amendment failed, 182 to 243. [HR 5, Vote #97, 2/26/15; The Hill, 2/26/15]

Voted Against Providing Students With Qualified Teaching Aides, Assistants

Voted Against An Amendment To Restore Qualification Requirements For Paraprofessional Educators Like Teachers’ Aides & Assistants. In February 2015, Hurd voted against an amendment to restore paraprofessional qualification requirements in the Student Success Act, “requirements that existed in the original [No Child Left Behind] NCLB but had been removed from this legislation. Under NCLB, this provision stopped school districts from hiring paras with little experience in education and mandated that they provide training … ‘We must ensure that paraprofessionals are qualified to provide muchneeded instructional support, support that is often targeted to students who are struggling academically or who need additional help, such as English learners, or students with disabilities. That support is crucial to students, parents, and teachers, particularly in communities where resources are scarce and children are already at a disadvantage,’ said [Illinois Federation of Teachers Secretary-Treasurer Marcia] Campbell.” The amendment passed, 218 to 201. [HR 5, Vote #98, 2/26/15; IFT, 2/27/15]

Voted Against Authorizing Funds For Early Childhood Education Scholarships

Voted Against Authorizing Funds For Early Childhood Education Scholarships. In July 2015, Hurd voted against an amendment to the Student Success Act that would, “authorize funds for the Secretary of Education to provide grants for early-childhood education scholarships, professional development and licensing credentials, or increased compensation for educators who have attained specific qualifications.” The amendment failed 205 to 224. [HR 5, Vote #417, 7/08/15] Voted Against A Motion To Guarantee Continued Funding For The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Voted Against A Motion To Guarantee Continued Funding For The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act. In July 2015, Hurd voted against a Democratic motion to recommit that “guarantees continued funding for IDEA [Individuals with Disabilities Education Act], including for students with autism and cognitive disabilities; and protects children with disabilities from abusive seclusion and restraint practices, which, according to the GAO, have resulted in severe injury and even death.” The motion failed, 185 to 244. [HR 5, Vote #422, 7/08/15; Democratic Leader – Motion To Recommit, 7/08/15] Voted For Allowing States To Opt Out Of Federal Education Requirements Without Losing Federal Funds Voted For Allowing States To Opt Out Of Federal Education Requirements Without Losing Federal Funds. In July 2015, Hurd voted for an amendment to the Student Success Act that, “would have allowed states to opt out of federal requirements entirely without losing federal funds.” The amendment failed 195 to 235. [HR 5, Vote #419, 7/08/15; Daily Caller, 7/09/15] Voted Against A Substitute Amendment To Overhaul Elementary And Secondary Education Standards And Funding Voted Against A Substitute Amendment To Overhaul Elementary And Secondary Education Standards And Funding. In July 2015, Hurd voted against a substitute amendment to the Student Success Act that would “require states to establish college-and career-ready standards in English, math and science for grades K-12 and high-quality assessments aligned to those standards. The amendment would also require state education plans for youth in juvenile institutions, require districts to include teacher salaries in their calculations for Title I funds and require states and districts to publicly report progress in making funding equitable. Furthermore, the amendment would reauthorize and modify the Charter School Program similar to those in HR 5 and create programs for STEM education and literacy from preschool through grade 12, as well as grants for technology infrastructure and for nongovernmental entities to develop curricula in various subject matters. Finally, it would authorize grants to states for high-quality preschool programs and increase authorizations for Native Indian, Hawaiian and Alaska Native education programs, as well as for the education of homeless children and youth.” The amendment failed, 187 to 244. [HR 5, Vote #421, 7/08/15; CQ Floor Votes, 7/08/15] Voted For Allowing Parents To Have Their Children Opt Out Of Federally-Required Standardized Tests Voted For Allowing Parents To Have Their Children Opt Out Of Federally-Required Standardized Tests. In July 2015, Hurd voted for an amendment to the Student Success Act that, “grants parents the right to opt their children out of federally-required standardized tests.” The amendment passed 251 to 178.

[HR 5, Vote #420, 7/08/15; Daily Caller, 7/09/15] Voted For Amendment Allowing States To Withdraw From Common Core Without Jeopardizing Federal Funding Voted For Amendment Allowing States To Withdraw From Common Core Without Jeopardizing Federal Funding. In July 2015, Hurd voted for an amendment allowing states to withdraw from common core without losing their funding. “The first piece of legislation Rep. Lee Zeldin introduced since his election to Congress was an amendment to an education law that would allow states to withdraw from the Common Core standards without jeopardizing federal. States are not required under federal law to adopt the Common Core. Rather, some states that have been recipients of federal grants through President Obama’s Race To The Top program were required to implement curriculum guidelines that boost college and career readiness.” The amendment passed, 373 to 206. [HR 5, Vote #410, 7/07/15; Politico, 3/03/15] Voted Against Amendment Requiring The Secretary Of Education To Study The Impacts Of School Start Times On Student Health Voted Against Amendment Requiring The Secretary Of Education To Study The Impacts Of School Start Times On Student Health. In July 2015, Hurd voted against requiring the Secretary of Education to study the impacts of school start times on student health. “The U.S. House of Representative reconsidered and ultimately passed Wednesday a Republican-backed reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act—though it’s far from the measure that President Barack Obama may eventually sign into law when it’s all said and done … Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla.: Would require the Secretary of Education to conduct an assessment of the impact of school start times on student health, well-being, and performance. Failed 198-228.” The amendment failed, 199 to 228. [HR 5, Vote #412, 7/07/15; Education Week, 7/08/15] Voted Against Developing A National Research Strategy That Evaluates Student Learning And Effective Teacher Preparation Voted Against Developing A National Research Strategy That Evaluates Student Learning And Effective Teacher Preparation. In July 2015, Hurd voted against an amendment to the Student Success Act that would, “develop a national research strategy with respect to elementary and secondary education that includes advancing—an annual measure of student learning, including a system of assessments;

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